2024 MLB League Championship Series predictions

What a postseason it’s been so far — and there’s still so much baseball to be played.

After exciting Game 5s in both the National League and American League Division Series, the League Championship Series matchups are officially set. The Dodgers host the Mets to open the NLCS on Sunday (8:15 p.m. ET on FOX), while the Guardians visit the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday (7:38 p.m. ET on TBS).

With that, we asked a number of MLB.com experts to weigh in and make their predictions on how the League Championship Series rounds will unfold. Check out their picks for each series below.

Mets (No. 6 seed) vs. Dodgers (No. 1 seed)

The pick: Mets (26 of 45 votes, 58%)

The Mets have taken out two of the three National League division winners to make the NLCS and now have the Dodgers in their sights. New York stunned Milwaukee on Pete Alonso’s three-run, go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the Wild Card Series and earned a date with the division-rival Phillies in the NLDS. A 95-win Philadelphia team was no problem for the Mets, who knocked out their rivals in four games thanks to Francisco Lindor’s grand slam in the series clincher.

“As magical as this Mets run has been, I fear their relatively small Circle of Trust in the bullpen will catch up to them here. Granted, the Dodgers have some serious questions in their starting staff, but their lineup has so much firepower, and this will be the series in which Shohei Ohtani truly makes his October mark.” — Anthony Castrovince, senior national reporter

Series predictions
Mets (6 games): 17 votes
Dodgers (6 games): 14 votes
Mets (5 games): 5 votes
Dodgers (7 games): 4 votes
Mets (7 games): 4 votes
Dodgers (5 games): 1 vote

Who will be named NLCS MVP?
Francisco Lindor (NYM): 15 votes
Shohei Ohtani (LAD): 8 votes
Mookie Betts (LAD): 6 votes
Brandon Nimmo (NYM): 4 votes
Teoscar Hernández (LAD): 3 votes
Mark Vientos (NYM): 3 votes
Pete Alonso (NYM): 2 votes
Edwin Díaz (NYM): 1 vote
Jack Flaherty (LAD): 1 vote
Freddie Freeman (LAD): 1 vote
Tyrone Taylor (NYM): 1 vote

Our voters like Lindor to win NLCS Most Valuable Player honors, with one-third of the 45 voters in the poll tabbing the Mets shortstop. It would be another big moment in a standout season for Lindor, who had a huge home run against the Braves in the doubleheader to close the regular season and another against the Phillies in NLDS Game 4.

“Shohei Ohtani is almost definitely taking home the NL MVP Award, but Francisco Lindor will lead New York to the NL pennant,” said Brian McGrath, supervising editor for content operations. Still, 10 other players (five Dodgers and five Mets) earned at least one vote, with Ohtani receiving the most votes of any L.A. player.

Guardians (No. 2 seed) vs. Yankees (No. 1 seed)

The pick: Yankees (33 of 45 votes, 73%)

It took the Yankees four games — four very close games — to knock out the Royals in the ALDS, with no contest decided by more than two runs. New York might not be able to rely on narrow victories against a Guardians team that ranked third in MLB with a 26-19 (.578) record in one-run games thanks to Emmanuel Clase and an elite group of relievers.

“The Yankees have the edge in star power and a stronger rotation, but the Guardians’ best bats woke up near the end of the ALDS. That, plus the bullpen looking as elite as ever, should give Cleveland the edge in what’ll likely be a grueling series.” — Casey Drottar, editorial producer

Series predictions
Yankees (5 games): 15 votes
Yankees (6 games): 11 votes
Yankees (7 games): 7 votes
Guardians (7 games): 8 votes
Guardians (6 games): 3 votes
Guardians (5 games): 1 vote

Who will be named ALCS MVP?
Juan Soto (NYY): 11 votes
Aaron Judge (NYY): 10 votes
Steven Kwan (CLE): 5 votes
José Ramírez (CLE): 5 votes
Gerrit Cole (NYY): 3 votes
Giancarlo Stanton (NYY): 3 votes
Gleyber Torres (NYY): 2 votes
Luke Weaver (NYY): 2 votes
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY): 1 vote
Emmanuel Clase (CLE): 1 vote
Alex Verdugo (NYY): 1 vote
Austin Wells (NYY): 1 vote

Our voters were rather torn between a pair of Yankees star sluggers, with Soto getting just one more vote than Judge when it comes to winning ALCS MVP. In his first season with New York, Soto has already been a revelation for the Yankees — but now it’s time for him to shine when it matters most. As social media editorial manager Zac Vierra put it, “This will be the series that Juan Soto earns his pinstripes.” Even if Soto doesn’t step up, Judge, Stanton or the six other Yankees who earned MVP votes in our poll could get the job done — if Ramírez, Kwan and the Guardians don’t beat them to it.